An intense frown fell upon Sui Rong’s face the moment the young man stated his second request. The first had already been absurd enough, and here he was again, asking her to allow him into her private room.

This one was an especially obnoxious and daring request.

Sui Rong straightened while still sitting on the bed, her mountains trembling slightly with the movement.

"How dare you? I’m a married woman, and you want to enter my private room? One I share with my husband? T-T-This is an insult!"

Sui Rong stuttered, her mind in complete disarray. She knew that anger was the proper response to the absurd request Shi Lan had made. But at the same time, her body wanted a different response. Her mind urged her to say something else, already wondering what Shi Lan wanted to do to her in her bedroom.

He was a very evil person, she could see that clearly — outrightly wanting to ruin her marriage just for his own satisfaction.

But again, Sui Rong’s mind questioned her. Was it truly about his satisfaction... or her own?

If she were to do it on her bed and he offered her his dragon, it would feel wonderful — perhaps intoxicating — because all her life that bed had been filled with lingering regrets and quiet dissatisfaction from her husband’s pitiful dragon size.

But one night could wash away all of that regret, just as she found herself caring about nothing else right now.

Still, this was far too abrupt.

She was Sui Rong, the esteemed Madam of the Medicine Hall, and her reputation mattered greatly to her. She could not allow such a thing.

Shi Lan silently stared at her, his face completely expressionless. Even though she had attacked him with her words, he simply stood there and waited for her to make up her mind. His gaze radiated an almost arrogant confidence.

And Sui Rong hated it.

She furtively glanced at him.

"If I refuse the second request, will you still offer the second round?"

Sui Rong thought perhaps she should restrain her greed and simply be satisfied with the second round. After all, she could come for his service anytime. Or perhaps he would still give her that special treatment if she managed to convince her friends to visit him as well.

But his response shattered all her hopes.

"No. The second round is off the table. I also won’t be needing your assistance for the first request."

Sui Rong could not believe what she had heard. Her mouth fell open.

"You really are a greedy man! Acting like some ancient two-thousand-five-hundred-year-old immortal! You should look around you! No one here is going to pay you even a single silver coin for your services, no matter how impressive they are—yet I’m offering to pay you ten, and you’re making these absurd demands?"

Shi Lan sighed and turned to return the box of needles to its place, since it seemed Sui Rong had already made up her mind.

However, her hand suddenly shot out and grasped the hem of his robe. She lowered her head, trying to hide the embarrassed blush spreading across her face.

"Wait... why are you so impatient?"

Shi Lan turned back, his face blank but serious.

"I have several customers waiting for me. Once you step out, I have to make my money’s worth after you’ve wasted my time."

Sui Rong bit her lips, as though trying to swallow her shame.

"Accepted."

Shi Lan raised an inquisitive brow.

Seeing his expression, she spoke more clearly.

"I have accepted both requests... but please, regarding the private room matter, can we keep it between us?"

Shi Lan said nothing and simply opened the box while calmly commanding her.

"Lie down..."

Sui Rong slowly lowered herself onto the bed, using deliberate elegance to loosen the buttons of her dress, revealing the narrow, enticing fissure of her mountains. She thought the young man would look at them greedily.

But he did not even spare them a glance.

And even when his gaze briefly passed over them, it remained utterly emotionless. Because of that, she could not discern what he was thinking as he drove another overwhelming wave of pleasure through her body.

This time was far more intense than anything Sui Rong had ever felt. She could not restrain her moans, sending them echoing loudly into the air, completely forgetting that a throng of people was waiting outside for her to expose the young man’s supposed lie.

*

*

*

There were a few men standing outside, along with many women. All of them were waiting for Madam Sui Rong, who had valiantly gone inside to test the young man’s services. If there was anyone capable of exposing a fraud, it was Madam Sui Rong.

People waited and gossiped as time passed.

Chang’e and Xia Xia blocked the entrance, and at some point Xiao Fa arrived from wherever she had been and joined them, looking slightly confused.

While Xia Xia seemed unsure — perhaps even a little frightened of the outcome — when she looked at her mother, she saw that she radiated unwavering confidence. Xia Xia had never seen her mother so determined about anything before.

And it was impressive.

Because of that, she also trusted Shi Lan... simply because her mother trusted him.

After a while, they began to hear distant sounds.

At first, the crowd grew worried for Sui Rong and began raising their voices.

"What is that man doing to Madam Sui Rong?!"

"If he hurts her, there is nowhere he can run beneath the heavens. We will find him and kill him!"

"That bastard! Drag him out now!"

It was the men who spoke so boldly.

The women, however, remained silent for a moment, listening carefully before exchanging bewildered glances with one another.

Chang’e chuckled at the men.

Of course, they don’t know what that sound means. They are all useless men who only care about their own satisfaction.

But this...

This is the sound of a woman being pleased.

"Does Madam Sui Rong sound like she’s suffering to you?" she asked, glaring sharply at them.

"If she isn’t suffering, then what is that?!"

Chang’e laughed arrogantly.

"That... that is the sound of a woman being thoroughly pleased. Our Benevolent Leader of the Heavenly Healing Hall is healing Madam Sui Rong’s accumulated pains. Pains she didn’t even know she carried. And she’s experiencing heavenly relief because of it!"